UMconnect 12-10-09

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This Week's UMconnect
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Rev. Dr. Carol Roettmer Brewer

The Rev. Dr. Carol Roettmer Brewer named new director of connectional ministries

A number of Nebraska United Methodist Conference leadership and support staff changes were announced Monday, Dec. 7, by Personnel Committee Chair Charlene Adden.

The Rev. Dr. Carol Roettmer Brewer will begin her role as the new director of connectional ministries/staff leader on Feb. 1, 2010. She succeeds the Rev. Chad Anglemyer, who recently decided to return to serve a local church after two years at the helm of the conference.

Roettmer Brewer has more than 37 years experience as pastor in service to the Nebraska United Methodist Conference. She has served as district superintendent for the Elkhorn Valley District, with offices in Norfolk, since 2007. Prior to that she was the district superintendent of the then-Northeast District from 2005-07, and also served as superintendent for the then-Central District for six years.

Roettmer Brewer said, "I am thankful for the laity and pastors of the Elkhorn Valley District as I have served with them as their district superintendent. I look forward to the new challenges and relationships in this new appointment."

Bishop Ann Brookshire Sherer-Simpson added, "We welcome Carol Roettmer Brewer. Her 37 years of experience in the Nebraska Conference and her 10 years as a District Superintendent will serve this conference well as she staffs the Nebraska-Kansas Episcopal Area Conversations and leads our conference in supporting the local church mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."
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Rev. Nan Kaye-Skinner

The Rev. Nan Kaye-Skinner appointed Elkhorn Valley District superintendent

The Rev. Nan Kaye-Skinner has been named as the new Elkhorn Valley District superintendent and will begin her duties on Feb. 1. Kaye-Skinner currently serves Trinity UMC in Ralston, where she has been since 2002. She has played an integral role in working with the Ralston congregation to oversee the completion of a major renovation/addition to the the church.

Kaye-Skinner said, "I am looking forward to working with the people of the Elkhorn Valley District and to offering leadership and building a stronger Nebraska United Methodist presence."

Bishop Sherer-Simpson commented, "Rev. Nan Kaye-Skinner brings much knowledge about ministry, clergy and laity of the Nebraska Conference to the cabinet. We welcome her."
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Rev. Dr. Jesse Foster

The Rev. Dr. Jesse Foster named new Christian Leadership Development Director, first to hold post

The Rev. Dr. Jesse Foster has been named as the Christian leadership development director and will begin his duties on Jan. 1, working out of the Conference Office in Lincoln. He is filling a newly created position intended to help the Nebraska Conference focus on leadership development for Nebraska United Methodist clergy and lay persons and is part of a Conference restructuring effort that began nearly four years ago.

Foster has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction, and came to Lincoln from Birmingham, Ala, in 2001 to instruct at UNL. He also holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Virginia Union School of Theology, in Richmond, Va, and has served as senior pastor at Lincoln Newman UMC since 2006.

Bishop Sherer-Simpson said, "Rev. Jesse Foster is just the person we have been hoping to find to enable the leadership development focus of the Nebraska Conference. All his skills and experience converge as he begins this ministry."
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Observing the Advent season

Society has a tendency of overshadowing the season of Advent with Christmas carols and shopping. Yet, it is crucial for the United Methodist Church to continue observing and practicing the traditions of the Advent season. Advent is meant to be a time for believers to become spiritually prepared for the joys of Christmas. The symbolism and traditions of the church during Advent allows church members to be thankful for the salvation God bestowed upon his followers. For a more in depth look into the necessity of Advent, please reference the link below.
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Josh Howard is a student at, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, focusing on a career in social justice.

Making a difference

"I decided to pursue my call to ministry during my senior year of college," recalls Josh Howard, 22, a first-year student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (G-ETS), Evanston, Ill. "Until then, I had every intention of becoming a history professor.

"I felt God tugging at my heart during the ethics courses that explored the injustices that humanity inflicts upon itself, but I readily ignored it," Howard continues. "God changed my plans through my campus minister, a Garrett-Evangelical alum, when she took us on a social justice trip to Atlanta. We visited the Martin Luther King Jr. Museum. I realized it was not enough to recognize social injustice; I must commit myself to change as a person of faith. That is what brought me to ministry and to Garrett-Evangelical."

From Cullman, Ala., Howard received his bachelor's degree in history with a minor in religion and philosophy, from Martin Methodist College, Pulaski, Tenn. Now he is pursuing an M. Div. Degree. "I am in the certification stage of the candidacy process for ordination on the elder track in the Tennessee Conference," he says. "I intend on working in matters of social justice with an emphasis on urban ministry."

Howard appreciates Garrett-Evangelical's "endless opportunities for social justice ministry in an urban context and for field education. There is attention given to both the intellectual and the deeply spiritual properties of the seminary experience. When I first visited Garrett-Evangelical, my experiences in class visits, in chapel services, and even the sense of community among the students and faculty showed a balance of academia and matters of the heart unlike anywhere else. My experiences since I enrolled have only fortified that claim."

The United Methodist support of the Ministerial Education Fund allows future clergy leaders, like Josh Howard, to be adequately prepared for their future ministry work.
  • Ministerial Education Fund
    If you wish to assist students like Josh Howard, then please click on the above link and contribute to the education of future ministry leaders.
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IRS decreases mileage reimbursement rate for 2010

The Internal Revenue Service has reduced the standard mileage rate used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. Beginning January 1, 2010, the standard mileage rate will decrease to 50 cents per mile compared to the rate of 55 cents per mile for miles driven through 12/31/09.

The charitable rate remains the same at 14 cents per mile driven in service to a charitable organization. For more information, please visit the IRS Web site or read the provided article.
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"A Christmas Lament"

During the holidays, it is easy to become distracted by the superficial traditions society has come to associate with Christmas. The endless shopping, cooking and planning people dedicate to Christmas celebrations interferes with the glory Christmas really brings, the birth of a Savior. "A Christmas Lament" is a song set to the tune, "O Little Town of Bethlehem." It can be used as a reminder for all believers to slow down and remember the true joy of Christmas.
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United Methodist Communications announces change in InfoServ

InfoServ, the official information service of The United Methodist Church, will become exclusively an e-mail and online information service effective April 1, 2010. At that time, telephone support services will be discontinued.

InfoServ is a ministry of United Methodist Communications, which announced in August some program and staff reductions in response to a growing budget deficit and a restructuring plan.

"In these challenging economic times, we must find ways to continue providing high-quality service in a more cost effective manner," said the Rev. Larry Hollon, chief executive of United Methodist Communications. "Telephone calls to InfoServ have been decreasing over the past couple of years as more people take advantage of the Web or use e-mail to request information. We're committed to continuing to provide answers quickly and accurately, but technology allows us to do so more economically."

Customers will be able to submit questions via e-mail at infoserv@umcom.org. Answers to the most frequently asked questions are also available online. In addition, other customer-friendly options such as live chat and leaving a callback number will be explored during the transition period. Depending on the demand, some limited hours for telephone availability may be offered after the beginning of April.
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Deadline for Christian Mission 2010 is Jan. 15

Pastors, did you know that you can get CEU credits for attending School of Christian Mission or a Mission Education Event such as Mid-Winter SCM or the Weekend Mission Education Event in July? A Mission Education Event lasts two to three days, compared to the School of Christian Mission, which is four days.

Certified Lay Speakers, did you know that attending all sessions at School of Christian Mission or a Mission Education Event is equivalent to an Advanced Lay Speaking Course?

Did you know that Schools of Christian Mission, Mission Educations Events, and One-Day Mission Studies are part of the largest adult education program in the United States?

If you are interested in participating in any of the Christian Mission sessions, please complete the forms below (health waiver and registration) and send them with the $45 registration fee to: Brenda Alt, 225 W. Washington, Shelby, NE 68662-5619. The registration deadline is Jan. 15, 2010.

For further questions, contact Joyce Solomon, dean of Nebraska Conference School of Christian Mission, at 308-643-9461or e-mail her at solomon.joyce@gmail.com or msolomo@neb-sandhills.net.
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Asbury Theological Seminary announces new director of alumni

The Vice President of Advancement and Communications, Jay Mansur, announces the appointment of Ms. Tammy Cessna as the director of alumni at Asbury Theological Seminary, effective Dec. 1, 2009. Cessna will continue to oversee major event programs, a position she has held for the past six years, which oversees President's Retreat and other major events; including the inauguration of Asbury Seminary's eighth president, Timothy C. Tennent.
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Faithful Security update

We know you share our excitement over recent and forthcoming activities for a nuclear weapon free world. We would like to invite you to give to making this work a success. Your financial contribution to the work of Faithful Security brings us closer than we have been for decades to eliminating nuclear weapons.

In the very near future we expect to see the U.S. and Russia sign a START follow-on agreement reducing the number of deployed nuclear warheads they hold. People of faith need to be ready to join the debate over its ratification. A Nuclear Security Summit dealing with control of fissile material is scheduled to take place in Washington in April. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference will be held in New York in May. U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty is long overdue; it may come up in the Senate next year.

The work is far from over. The opportunity is now to make history on this issue. In the context of so much activity the voices of American religious communities provide an indispensible moral clarity to one of the great ethical issues of our time, and have the capacity and lend a nobility and sense of purpose to the political process of disarmament. We need your help to seize this moment to shape nuclear weapons policy.

Over the past several years, Faithful Security has served as the collective voice of the religious community on nuclear weapons. In coalition with our partners, we help communities speak out of the depth and integrity of their individual traditions - whether Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish or Muslim. We multiply the effectiveness of our partner organizations across the religious spectrum.

Any amount you give today, whether it be $5, $50, $100 or $500 will help us ensure that the voices of faithful Americans are heard loud and clear in our call for a nuclear weapons free world.

You may make a donation by either check or credit card.
By Check, please send to:
Churches' Center for Theology and Public Policy
4500 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016-5632

By Credit Card - through the secure on-line services of Groundspring.org. Click on the link below.
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"The Pulse" from Clinic with a Heart

In their December newsletter, Executive Director Teresa Harms sends a note from Clinic with a Heart to both thank patrons and to update everyone on the clinic's activities. Clinic with a Heart is an outreach program that receives support from several Blue River District United Methodist Churches. Visit their Web site and read their latest newsletter by clicking on the links below.
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Omaha First UMC hosts healing arts ministry event

Omaha First UMC invites all to its healing arts ministry event. The healing arts ministry team is offering a unique celebration of soulful healing where you can participate in a variety of activities designed for spiritual growth and relaxation.

Healing arts ministry is a First UMC committee that designs programming intended to help people grow spiritiually and help incorprorate spirituality into more expressions in their lives ... making the body, mind and spirit connection.

For more information contact:
Sue Rood
Director of Educational Ministries
First United Methodist Church
7020 Cass Street
Omaha, Nebraska 68132
402-556-6262
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